Airplane safety device



May 21, 1929. J. E. 'LOW AIRPLANE SAFETY DEVICE l Filed Aug. 29, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet .ruw

May 21, 1929-" J. E. LowE v 1,714,034

I AIRPLANE SAFETY DEVICE Filed Aug. 29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @IIV` Fl [l Snecma* Patented May 2l, 1929.

UNITED STATES JAMES E. LOWE,r F MIAMI, FLORIDA.

AIRPLANE SAFETY DEVICE.

Application led August 29, 1927.

The object of my invention is to remove or to reduce to the minimum, the dangers or hazards of airplane flight both over land and sea so that in case of accidental or forced dro ping to water the plane may be fitted to oat by pneumatic, buoyancy imparting means normally in a collapsed state so as to be no impediment to flight that simply, quickly and infalliby will be placed in service condition, and so that if from one cause or another in flight, whether over land or sea, the plane is in a condition that would cause it to fall, its descent may be controlled.

My invention consists in whatever is described by or is included within the terms or scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a monoplane embodying my invention shown with the safety devices in readiness for use;

, Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, with the parts in state for normalflight;

Fig. 3 is a detail view in vertical section showing the pneumatic device in a collapsed state,.the section being on the line 3743 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of t-he pneumatic buoyant device;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 isa detail view in front elevation of the pneumatic -buoyant device in position' for service with adjacent parts in section;

Fig. 7 is a detail view in transverse section showing partly in elevation the parachute raising and holding mechanism in a folded non-service position;

Fig. 8 is a top plan viewsomewhat digrammatic of the. plane wing with the parachute su ports shown in an extended position.

`griefly described my invention, in that it provides for safe-guarding its occupant or occupants from injury or destruct-ion when obliged to take to water, comprisesl preff erably at each Side of the fuselage, a longitudinally extending bag of air-tight material that has an opening in its front end through which duringthe flight of the plane and in immediate anticipation of descent to water, air will pass into the bag under the great pressure which flight produces so as to inflate the same to cylindrical for-m,a door or cover being provided for the open front end to close it on the desired inflation of the bag. The bag when deflated, lies close or compactly against the side of the fuselage so as not to constitute Serial No. 216,102.

an obstruction or impediment to the normal flight of the plane. My invention in so far as it aims to safeguard damage to plane or occupant from fall, whenv the plane is unmanageable, includes the provision of a parachute mounted on the top of the plane and including the customary member of light, flexible material, and arms pivotally connected at numerous points to the lane wing by which the parachute may be li ted from a normally collapsed state in a compartment for the purpose on the top of the plane, to an open state so that the flexible member will be projected a substantial distance above the top of the plane and thus allow the ready access of air to the interior of the flexible member to expand or bulge it out into the customary concave-convexo state for use.

I illustrate my invention in the drawings as applied to a monoplanc, but it is equally adaptable to other types or constructions of airplanes.

Describing in detail what is shown in the drawings, on each side of t-he fuselage, 10, I attach a bag, 11, of suitable air-tight, collapsible material which extends practically throughout the length of the fuselage and has an opening into its interior only at its front end which opening is provided by a vmetal ring, 12, of substantial diameter so as to permit the influx into the bag of a large volume of air when the plane is in flight. and for convenient designation hereafter, I will term said ring forming opening the mouth. Said mouth-forming ring, 12, is pivoted by two parallel upper and lower arms, 13, to a vertical shaft, 14, which is supported at top and bottom by brackets, 15, bolted to the side wall of the fuselage or cabin so that the bag mouth may thus be swung from a position close to, and alongside of the cabin wall on the outside, as shown in Fig. 5, or to a position at right angles thereto, as shown iny Fig. 6 -in which position the buoyant device is ready for service. To a crank, 16, on one or both of the arms, 13, is connected one end of a coil spring, 17, whose other end is secured to a bracket, 18, boltcd tothe side of the fuselage which spring tends normally to swing the mouth from a position along side of the fuselage, shown in Fig. 5, to the positionshown in Fig. 6, and a latch device is provided to restrain such tendency until it is desired to put the buoyant device into service which latch device consists of a finger, 19, attached to the mouth ring and aV rotary Lil cranked bolt', 20, with a handle, Q1, on the inde of the cabin in convenient reach of the aviator for nianijiulalion. Unc or both of the arms, ifi, have a radial extension, 22, adapted to strike a stop, :B2-3, on the contiguous pivoting bracket when the mouth is swung outward to position to allow inliow of air into the bag. i

For closing the mouth of the bag, a closure or door, 24, is provided which, as shown, is circular' and plane or fiat on one side and having a conical projection, 25, on the opposite side which is adapted to enter the mouth and by contact of the inclined exterior of said projection, with a packing, ring-form member, 26, on the interior of the mouth, an air-*tight joint is provided. The door is also pivoted, as by means of two parallel arms, 27, to the same pivot shaft to which the mouth is pivoted so that the door may have a similar swinging motion to that of the mouth and a coil spring, 28, attached at one end to a radial ear,29, on one or both of said arms, Q7, and at theother end to a bracket on the side of the fuselage normally tends to swing the door outward, and into a mouth-closing position. The door is also held against the swinging tendency of its spring by a latch device, 30, similar in all respects to that provided for the mouth so that when the buoyant device has been inflated to the desired de grec, the aviator may simply by operating the door latch, cause the instantaneous closing of the door. Of course, with the plane in motion on the surface ofthe water, pressure on the `closed door will add to the se curity of the closure and the tightness of the seal or joint between the mouth. Attached to the periphery of the mouth ring are two springr latch fingers, 31, adapted to automatically latch the door in its closed position so as not to depend upon the strength of the spring means acting on the door. These latch fingers, 3l, hook over adjacent ends of the arms, 27. The bevelled noses of the latches are situated so that when, vas shown in Fig. 5, the parts are in a non-service position, they will lie between the side of the door and the adjacent side of the mouth ring, and thus not prevent the outswinging of the mouth ring.

To make the seal especially efficient, the gasket or packing ring in the mouth, besides ha viu gan inclination corresponding to that of the periphery of the door projection, has an annular lip, 32, which normally tends to project inwardly across the path of the door projection and thus so project when the door is away from the mouth so that when the door is closed, it will engage such lip and press it outward and tightly against the adjacent portion of the gasket.

The air bag is attached at suitable intervals along its length to the side of the fuselage by devices having the constructions shown throughout its length will be preliminarily unfolded. Each of said bag supporting devices comprises a thin band, 33, ofV spring steel that normally tends to assume a bowed form and which at its upper end is pivoted by an eye thereon to a pintle bolted to the side of the fuselage and to which near its lower end is pivotedor attached to one end of a liexible strap, 33, of cloth or other material whose other end is pivotally attached to the side of the fuselage as by a pin bolted to the fuselage side. The joint length of the spring and cloth member is such that when they are stretched out, they permit the expansion of the bag lying between them and the side of the fuselage, to full diamete and engage the outer circumference of the iniiated bag, and thereby, support it. straps or loops, 34, are attached tothe bag near the top and at a point further down the spring strap or band, by which, after the .spring band bows out when-released, the bag portions connected therewith will be carried outward. The upper strap, 34, ,is fixed to the hand while the lower one is free to slide. At the vcrv lowest extremity of the spring strap or band, 33, it has connected to itby a link 35, a slotted holt, 36, which is adapted to be engaged by a latch pin, 37, slidablevin a box, 88. 'secured to the fuselageside and having a hole through which said bolt passes to be placed in a .latch-engaging position. The latch is pivotally connected at one end to a laterally extendingarm. 39, carried by a rod, 4.0. which extends longitudinally'of the fuselage so as to havea latch for each band, 33, and he connected at its front end with an arm, 4l, carried by the mouth ring.

l provide means for pumping airint-o the bags within the cabin as an emergency device` as when for example there is air leakage from the ling. Such provision comprises a pipe, 43. passing through the side wall of the cabin. and on the outside connected with the bag and on the inside having a coupling, 44;, for an air pump. A pressure-gage, 45, is connected with the pipe within the cabin so that the air-pressure in the bag maybe observed. 1Preisrably a hand valve, 46,A is provided to open and close the pipe'connection. with the bag. Each bag will have its own emergency air supply device.

l will next deseribethe parachute arrangement. The parachute `*includes the ,usual Two Y canopy member, 47, of cloth or other fabric and to the edge thereof at the necessary number of points are securedone of the ends, of rope or cables, 48, the other ends of which are attached, respectively, to the extremities of jointed or compound arms (whose detail construction is best shown in Fig. 7) whose other ends are pivoted or hingedk to the edge or rim of the wing plane, 49, so that when the parachute is to be used the jointed arms by spring devices hereinafter described, may swing outward and upward and the joints may open out as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, lifting the collapsed or folded canopy from a recess or compartment, 50, in the upper side of the wing or plane, and permitting the access of air to the canopy .to open it out. The primary function of the jointed or compound arms is to hold the canopy attaching ropes when the parachute is in a folded or non-service condition so that no tangling or snarling of the ropes can take place, each rope being as clearly shown in Fig. 7, carried from its point of connection with the canopy over and along the joints of the compound arm. Each jointed or compound arm includes one joint or member 51, which at one end is pivoted to a bracket, 52, bolted to the.rim or edge of the plane, a second joint or member, 53, which by a rule joint 54, is hinged to the joint, 51, and a third joint or member, 55, which by a rule joint 56, is hinged or pivoted to the second joint 53, and at each of the three pivots are similar spring devices, 57, which respectively normally tend to swing the compound arm outward on its pivot, 52, and the arms 53 and 55 on their respective pivots, these movements being controlled so that they take place in succession and thus quickly but yet gently, first, by the swinging of the compound arm in its entirety, the canopy is lifted out of its storage compartment, 49, smoothly and, then without any danger of tangling the rope is uncoiled or unwound as the joints 53 and 55 open out one after another. There is a similar latch device for the compound arm in its entirety to hold the latter in the closed condition shown in Fig. 7 and for the two arms 53 and 55, which are released in succession. Said latch device in the case of the compound arm in its entirety includes a sliding bolt, 58, slidable in a box, 59, on the underside of the wing or plane. 49, and a hasp or link, 60, pivoted to the arm joint, 51, and adapted for engagement by the bolt, 58. The bolt 58, is connected by a link, 61, with a crank disk 62. which has connected with it an operating handle located for convenient reaching by the aviator, to enable him to withdraw the bolt. 58. to release the compound member. It will be understood that one crank disk, 63 has connected with it two lock bolts, 58, at oppesite lsides of the plane. The second latch device includes a bolt, 64, a box, 65, secured to 53, and thus the one latch device serves for j both joints 53 and 55. The release ot' the bolt, 64 is ctl'ccted autoinatirally and at the proper interval after the release and upward swinging of the compound arm .in its entirety, and that accon'iplishcd by the loose, link-form connection, 67, between the bolt, 64 and the pivot bracket, 52, at a point excentric tosuch pivot which makes the point of connection between bolt and bracket suliciently short to result in the retraction of the bolt, (34, at the desired point in the upward swing of the compound arm in its entirety. A spring latch, 520 mounted in the pivot bracket, 52, engages a locking notch or shoulder, 510, on the pivotal portion of the arm, 51, arrests the coinpound arm when it has swungto the intended. upward position. To ease the strain or pull of the rope the connection with the canopy, each rope, 47, near its point of connection with the canopy has a spring or yieldable section, 68.

I provide the parachute with means to prevent nose dives. Such means includes a section, 69, of a piece of cloth or fabric which eX- tends from or is a prolongation of the canopy at the bottom edge of the rear of the wing or plane, which at its lower edge is secured by a suitable clamp device, 70, to a side wall of the storage compartment, 49, so that when the parachute is opened out, said section, 69, will extend from the plane or wing at or near the rear side thereof, and substantially at the transverse center upward to the edge of the opened canopy, and thus present an area of surface suiciently large under the pressure of the air to off-set any tendency of downward movement of the front of the plane, as in a nose dive.

Preferably the folded or collapsed canopy when in the compartment, 49, is housed or covered at the top by a. cover 71, of fiexible material in suitable sections, is secured at the edge of the compartment by a clamp device, 72, which sections without any attention bein carried out of the way when the compound arms swing upward to carry the canopy out of the compartment, 49.

Preferably, in order to make the various latches or bolt devices move with the greatest ease, the bolts or latches are supported byor have contact with anti-friction rollers.

I claim:

1. An airplane having a parachute attached thereto by swinging arms connected to the wing and movable from a position extending across the wing to an upstanding one, and ropes ext-ending from the arms to the parachute canopy, said arms being jointed and interlocking means between the joints controlv ling the order of opening of said joints.

2. An airplane having a parachute attached thereto by swinging arms connected to the wing and movable from :1. position extending m'roes the wing to an upstanding one, said urine being jointed, and means acting in suecession to swing each arm as a unit and to swing the joints separately.

An airplane having a parachute secured to its npper side, and an air-pressure receiving surface situated below the edge of the r-anopy when opened and reaching towards the top of the airplane at a point to off-Set nose-dive tendency ofthe airplane said section being held in operative position by the canopy.

Il. An airplane having a parachute secured toits upper Side, and an air-pressure receiving surface situated below the edge of the canopy when opened and reaching towards the to oi the airplane at a poin;7 lo o'lr'eet nose-f ive tendency of the airplane, said section being a Continuation of the canopy from its rear edge to the top of the wind. p

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JAMES E. LOWE. 

